Critical lens

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

A critical lens is a way of looking at a particular work of

literary analysis technique.[1]

Types

There are many types of critical lenses but there are several that are the most common.

Marxist

Main article: Marxist literary criticism

The Marxist critical lens came into vogue with the advent of the

socioeconomic lens, this focuses on how characters' wealth and social connections affects the work.[2] Leon Trotsky's Literature and Revolution claims that "old literature and 'culture' were the expressions of the nobleman and the bureaucrat" and that "the proletariat has also to create its own culture and its own art".[3]
This viewpoint is common for the Marxist critical lens.

Psychoanalytic

Main article: Psychoanalytic literary criticism

Also called the

Jungian critical lens, this school of thought analyzes the psychological motives of the characters. Jungian literary criticism in particular focuses on archetypes.[4]

Feminist

Main article: Feminist literary criticism

Gender/Queer Studies

Main article:
Queer literary interpretation

The gender/queer lens, while influenced by the feminist lens, treats

XXY syndromes, natural sexual bimorphisms, as well as surgical transsexuals [...] defy attempts at binary classification". This thinking, along with the advent of a more prominent LGBT community, has heavily influenced this lens.[6]

Semiotics

Main article: Semiotic literary criticism

The semiotic literary lens grew out of the structuralist literary lens, which was influenced by structuralism. It came about with the advent of semiotics.

Moral

The moral lens was the earliest critical lens to come about, beginning in Book X of

Mr. Brocklehurst, which "'is a book entitled the 'Child's Guide,' read it with prayer, especially that part containing 'An account of the awfully sudden death of Martha G -, a naughty child addicted to falsehood and deceit'" - this is meant to instruct Jane in the consequences of lying, and was common in children's literature of the time.[9] This lens is common in analysis of religious
works.


Ecocriticism

Ecocriticism addresses the work from an environmental and ecological perspective.

Development

The earliest critical lens was the moral lens, which came about in 360 B.C. in the writings of Plato's Republic.

See also

References

  1. ^ Lab, Purdue Writing. "Introduction to Literary Theory // Purdue Writing Lab". Purdue Writing Lab. Archived from the original on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  2. ^ Lab, Purdue Writing. "Marxist Criticism // Purdue Writing Lab". Purdue Writing Lab. Archived from the original on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  3. OCLC 56517462
    .
  4. ^ Lab, Purdue Writing. "Psychoanalytic Criticism // Purdue Writing Lab". Purdue Writing Lab. Archived from the original on 2022-08-02. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  5. ^ Lab, Purdue Writing. "Gender Studies and Queer Theory // Purdue Writing Lab". Purdue Writing Lab. Archived from the original on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  6. OCLC 38274747
    .
  7. ^ "The Internet Classics Archive | The Republic by Plato". classics.mit.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  8. OCLC 1054909999
  9. OCLC 1076519534
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